By: Izzy Narvaez Life Course Scholar ​ This past week we went to two St. Paul’s centers. One of which provided medical care to seniors, some of whom depended on their help to get by. The other also helped seniors, some of whom had alzheimer's, and was also a daycare center for children. At the first center, I had a long and deep conversation with a women named Julie. While we were doing introductions, Julie caught my attention because I noticed that she was working on some sort of craft (see picture of me introducing myself, probably while trying to figure out what Julie was making). I approached Julie and she was friendly, and she revealed that she was making a hot plate (a place where you could set a hot pan so that you don’t burn your table). Julie disclosed that she liked to do a whole assortment of crafts including, but not limited to: crochet, jewerly-making, woodcrafting, and sewing. I found that I really connected with Julie, as I also do a lot of crafting in my free time. Julie had lived a long and full life, even though she has not yet turned 60. A few years back, Julie was forced to retire due to some medical issues. As she explained, doing crafts kept her mind busy and allowed her to put an energy to different projects. Looking back at my experience as Casa De Manana, I felt that I could not really connect with the people I was talking to (even though they were very nice and welcoming). However, I really felt like Julie and I had a lot of things in common. In our short conversation, Julie and I discussed a variety of topics, like our family backgrounds, cooking, her children, my future, and of course her crafts. Sprinkled throughout the conversation, Julie gave me a lot of valuable advice. I enjoyed talking to Julie so much, I was very sad when we had to leave, and I very quickly wrote down my phone number so that Julie could contact me if she ever wanted. Speaking to Julie and hearing about her past made me think critically about how the living conditions many seniors face. Julie’s whole family (except her husband) were out of state, and for a majority of the time, she was very lonely. This experience is not uncommon when it comes to elders in America, which is why I feel that intergenerational co-housing could be so valuable. I can’t help but assume that Julie might feel more fulfilled if she lived a place with other people her age and people who were older and younger. Wherever Julie is now, I hope she is enjoying her time, and I also hope that our future elderly population will be able to make many connections like the one I made with her on Wednesday.